We lost 70% of our player base half a year in

[Atelier-Bagur]

Honestly I personally think ending the main story arc in 6.0 was a mistake. The patch story has been boring as all hell for me and I stopped doing it at 6.2. Job design has gone to hell and most of them aren't fun at all anymore. I'm hoping 7.0 saves the game for me but honestly can't see it. This game is being designed to be a bi-yearly release single player game now.

They planned to have an expansion in between SB and Shb but they cut it due to pacing. It was supposed to be about Garlemald and what not and what we ended up getting was our trip to the First instead of dealing with the Garleans. Regardless this is semi-assumption since they did mention the intention before but I fully disagree with this opinion that they shouldnt have ended the main story with EW. The Zodiark and Hydaelyn drama was beginning to drag at this point and I feel EW ended it pretty nicely.

The only reason you find the Void story boring is because where at the point where the game needs an interlude before the next major arc. A good story doesnt deliver, rising action after rising action after rising action and its hilarious how you and most other people who criticize 6.1- above fail to understand this and makes me think you also failed at basic literature 101 because I also see this excuse thrown with some of ARR's story telling, which had some pacing issues for sure but the build up to the events of Praetorium, then the build up to HW was needed for us to give a shit of the characters, world and situation at that point.. The truth is, you and a bunch of other people reeally should never ever write a story if the main criticism is that the plot isnt hinged on melodrama and climaxes. This isnt how good storytelling works.

I also wouldnt fully count on 7.0 to be back to the levels of hype as in Shb or EW. I rather want 7.0 to be a bit more a fresh start like ARR in terms of world building. But I doubt this might be the case, at least fully.